Crowds are the Loneliest Places
by Purplerose128
Summary: Popular/Loner AU (PLAU). For his whole life, Jackson Overland has been cursed with a lonely lifestyle and, as a result, social anxiety that keeps him locked within his world of solitude. It' only threatened to be broken when Hiccup Haddock, a teen in Jack's class with an army of friends, tries to befriend him and show him a way into the world he had never been exposed to.
1. Ice-olation

**Hello, everybody! ****So, this is me posting one of the things I had on my Tumblr account for a while here to see how much people like it... cause I get almost nothing when it comes to Tumblr feedback so... to the fanfiction sites~!**

**This is another Hijack fic of mine based on a suggestion from Tumblr user lap1sinth3sky awhile back. They wanted an AU that they called the Popular/Loner AU (or PLAU for short) and I liked the idea so much that I wrote a thing for it. I've been thinking about continuing it and I decided that I would if I see if people actually like this before I invested my time into more of it.**

**So... leave me a review or follow/favorite the story if you're interested and hopefully I'll update the story when I have some free time because school and writing two other fanfictions right now.**

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Jackson Overland could only describe his childhood in one word: lonely.

His parents passed on when he and his sister were very young; before she could even crawl. Jack never learned exactly how they lost their parents. It was probably because of how young he was at the time. People tended to feel awful for making a kid cry, even if it meant telling them the truth. So all he was ever told was "it was just an accident." He and Emma were put in the foster system not very long after that, as no one could track down any family to dump the two children with. Luckily, they weren't separated right away. So Jack got to watch little Emma learn to crawl and walk. He even got to hear her try to say his name. It sounded like "ack" coming out of her mouth, but he heard it nonetheless.

If only he knew then that the first time he'd hear her say his name would be the last as well. After a year of being in the same foster home, the Overland siblings were separated. Emma had found a new family and was taken away from her older brother forever. Jack was six years old then, the last time he ever saw his baby sister. He watched the car from the window until it vanished around a corner, never to be seen by the young brunet again.

Looking back, Jack's happy that his sister found a new family. But his younger self was much more concerned with her being taken from him. And he relates to that. Emma was his only family then. And she was taken just like that… without him to look after her. He couldn't even keep that promise…

Another year of being moved from home to home every few months passed after that. People came and went in Jack's life too quickly for any kind of bond to form. He counted the fosters he lived with by a tally he carved into the only object that linked him to his former life. A small wooden box with a snowflake crudely painted in the lid. He made it with his mother when he was three. It was supposed to hold his baby teeth when they started falling out, so that the tooth fairy could leave him presents in exchange. But all it wound up holding was scars on its bottom. Scars that held hollow promises and nothing more.

Eight homes came and went within two years, taking little Jackson from city to city. Just when he had finally settled into his new home and new routine, he'd have to pack up and move on again. Eight new schools waved hello and good-bye to the young brunet. And with each one, his blue eyes grew darker, hollower, as part of him was once again left behind. That's what happened every time he found something to like in a new place. He wanted to stay when he knew very well that his life would never be permanent.

The ray of sunshine that came knocking one day came in the form of a man who the seven-year-old could swear was Santa. His graying beard met the middle of his chest and his big red coat made him think of the hero who gave him the toy he wanted every year.

The cheery man with red cheeks hardily laughed as he knelt down to the small boy's level, a big smile on his face "Hello, Jack." He greeted "My name is Nicolas North. I'm here to take you home."

At first, Jack thought that this was just another foster parent taking him on. But it was actually a man who wanted to adopt him! Finally, Jack wouldn't have to move around so much! He could go to the same school for a whole year and make friends and everything! In that moment, as he walked into his new bedroom with his little box of belongings, he thought that he would finally be able to have a normal life, like every other kid in school had.

It took Jack some time to settle into living with North, as he liked to call his adoptive father, but he eventually became accustomed to living with the jolly man. He was there every morning, making Jack breakfast and getting his lunchbox ready before dropping the young boy off at school and heading to work himself. He almost forgot what it was like to be around someone who actually wanted and cared about him. Sure, the foster homes kept him alive. But the thing that they lacked the most was love. And North was slowly making up for that.

Though, Jack soon learned that even this life wasn't entirely perfect. He quickly discovered that he was one of the only kids in his entire neighborhood; the only other one was a girl who lived a few houses down. Her name was Anna. She had dark brown hair, eyes that were so deep a blue they looked purple sometimes, and she_ loved_ colors. That was the first thing Jack learned about her. Anna and her mother came to the door one day during Jack's first summer living with North, asking if he wanted to come out and play. When he saw the shorter girl, she was wearing a bright green dress that slowly became blue at the bottom of it. And no sooner did the two of them start drawing on her driveway with a bucket of chalk did it turn into the whole rainbow, as did the asphalt.

The brunet never really liked girls before meeting her. She wasn't gross like all of the ones he'd met before. Anna was nice and fun to play with; and she wasn't afraid of getting dirty either. Jack was convinced that he lucked out in meeting the one girl on Earth who didn't have cooties, so he kept her as a friend.

And, awhile later, he learned that the colorful girl had a baby sister of her own. She had the same hair and eyes as Anna, except one of her blue eyes was a lot lighter than the other one. They looked like the shallow and deep parts of the ocean to the boy. And, really, he became attached to Faye very quickly. She reminded him of Emma just a little bit, because she liked it when he blew raspberries on her belly like he used to do to Emma. The two girls slowly became his sisters, in his mind. They didn't replace Emma or anything… but that's how he started to see them.

The problem was, aside from Anna, none of the kids at Jack's newest school seemed to want to talk to him. Maybe it was because he liked to hang out with a girl at recess or something? Or because no one had seen him before? He couldn't quite place exactly what he was doing wrong. I mean, Anna liked him. If she could, why couldn't anyone else?

It was rare that he would be invited to birthday parties, or on play dates with other kids at school. It was only when Anna asked if he could come or when the kids' parents insisted on inviting the whole class because it was fair. Jack loved each time that he was invited somewhere and he always went to the party, always gave a present and said "happy birthday." But still, his interaction with other kids was rare in itself. Was it just because he was new or something? He didn't get it!

And when school wasn't in session was when his isolation became much worse. Anna, Faye, and their parents left for most of the summer to visit her mom's family, who lived somewhere called Punjam Hy Loo, which was halfway around the world. That left the brunet to his own devices when it came to entertaining himself in the warmer months. He had the house to himself almost every day, with North still going to work, so all he really had was the TV and whatever games he could find or make up that he could play by himself. His summers were filled with playing pretend, slaying dragons and freezing his enemies solid on the hotter days. That usually resulted in him sticking his action figures in the freezer or something like that but, hey, it passed the time.

Years came and went and soon Jack's colorful best friend started to grow. She came back the summer before middle school started a few inches taller than the boy, a small curve to her body, and lumps forming on her chest. She started to look more like her mom, Jack supposed. But it was still weird for him. At least Faye was still shorter than him. Then again, she was only five when her older friends started sixth grade.

Middle school was most of the same routine. Just skidding from grade to grade by the skin on his nose and going generally unnoticed by his peers. Though, this time around, flaring hormones and awkward health classes got thrown into the mix. The girls started rolling up their skirts and all of the other boys chased after them the moment that started. But Jack… he wasn't really interested. He didn't care about girls, especially since none of them noticed him anyway.

This point in Jack's life was watching boys in his class get bigger and taller while he stayed the same. He listened to voices deepen and body hair sprouting in the locker room, while he did nothing more than squeak and grow some peach fuzz, if anything. It was Jack becoming even more invisible to his peers as they all oversaw him… literally. It was learning that being a late bloomer was both a blessing and a curse. It enabled him to hide from his larger classmates yet it was also another reason for them to taunt him.

Middle school was simple confirmation of Jack's life of solitude. The cell phone North bought him for his twelfth birthday only rang when Anna wanted to call or text him; or when North called to check in on him during the day and Jack was just too lazy to get up and answer the home phone. It only had two contacts: Anna and North.

A lonely life was all that Jack had ever known. And he forced it into being the place he was most comfortable in. Isolation became his happy place. It became his whole world. Empty weekends, restful breaks, and countless TV shows filled Jack's free time. Hours of video games, comic books, and movies occupied the brunet whenever he and Anna couldn't get together, which had been happening more and more since she'd gotten a whole bunch of new, better friends. At least, that's how Jack saw it.

When high school came, Jack was determined to make a change somehow. This new school would know who he was, one way or another. He wouldn't just be another body in a classroom; he'd be something that people looked twice at when he walked down the halls. And this change came in the form of a bottle of hair dye. His chocolate brown locks became a stark white in the summer before his freshmen year. He looked in the mirror after it was done and he knew that this was the change that he desperately needed.

High school would be different. He knew it.

And that's exactly what the first day of freshmen year was. Different. Jack got the exact reaction that he wanted from his new hair. All the way down to his new locker and into his homeroom, eyes were plastered to the tall boy and his white hair. He heard whispers as he passed groups of people and he couldn't help but smile.

_Finally. _He beamed _They see me. They see me!_

Jack took a seat in his homeroom and continued to enjoy the quick double-takes that people would direct his way. Kids began to sit in the seats around him and he became even more excited. Maybe his future friends were taking those very seats! All he had to do was start talking to them!

"Hey, there." Jack looked around until he found the source, a girl with silky black hair tied back in a braid who was sitting next to him. She had a genuine smile as she gazed back at him "I like your hair; it looks really cool."

"Yeah, uh…" Jack looked at her and his mouth stopped moving. His brain blanked and, in that one second, all his mouth did was hang open before he snapped it shut. _Say something… just say something, man! She's looking at you like a freak; say something before they stop talking to you! _"Thanks, I uh… I-I dyed it myself… over the summer."

She smiled and nodded "You must be pretty patient to get it that color. I mean, unless you're blond under that."

"My hair's brown so uh…" He stammered "I guess I have a lot of time on my hands."

The girl giggled "I'm Heather."

She looked at him expectantly and it took Jack a minute to realize what it was he was supposed to say at that "I'm Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Jack." Heather replied.

They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment or two before Jack turned his head back to the top of his desk and decided to play with his fingers instead. Just what was he supposed to say to her? He didn't know what she was interested in or what classes she had… he didn't know anything about her. Where was he supposed to start?!

_Right, ask her, ask her. _He encouraged himself. Jack peeked back at her and went to open his mouth. But, just as he felt the words coming up his throat, the bell rang and everyone started to shuffle off to their first period class. Heather was one of the first people out the door and Jack lost her in the sea of people that soon filled the hallway.

He sighed _Way to blow that one, Jack…_

His first few weeks of freshmen year were filled with Jack fumbling for words and doing his best not to embarrass himself during awkward ice-breakers that his teachers were having his classes do. He managed to strike up a few conversations with people but they never lasted very long. He didn't know what to talk about with any of them and it was really starting to get frustrating. Why was it so hard to just talk to people that he didn't know? He was just fine when he talked to North and other people that he'd known for awhile now. Why couldn't he just be himself like that with these people?!

His first major breakthrough was when he made an unexpected friend in the library one morning. Jack was printing out an assignment before homeroom when he caught a sight that he would know anywhere. A skinny boy with light blond hair and pale green eyes walked past him. But what caught Jack's attention wasn't his appearance but what he was wearing. This kid had on a Kingdom Hearts wristband AND a Keyblade necklace! Finally, he found something that he could get to know someone over!

"H-hey." He called. The boy turned around and stared at Jack blankly "Is that Kingdom Hearts?" The boy nodded, a small smile forming on his face "You heard the rumor about a new game coming out?" He nodded again, his smile growing.

The two boys spent the next ten minutes making little exchanges about the video game series and learned that they had a few other things in common too. This blond boy was a little shy and he didn't like to talk too much, answering Jack with as few words as possible each time his answer was more elaborate than a yes or no. He also had a laugh that was enchanting, in a way. It was deep and, for some reason, it made Jack smile and chuckle with him. It was almost like it was contagious.

It was only when the white-haired teen glanced up at the clock did he break up the conversation "Crap, homeroom's gonna start soon." He nervously looked between the other boy and the door "Uh… see you later." Jack started to speed walk back into the halls before he remembered something that was kind of important and turned back around "Oh, uh, I'm Jack, by the way."

"I'm Lior." The boy answered. Jack raised an eyebrow at the name. He'd never heard that one before. Lior continued "My dad says that, when I was born, his life got brighter. It means 'my light.'"

Jack nodded. The five minute warning bell rang "We'd uh, better get to homeroom."

Lior nodded and the two walked down the hall together, parting ways to go to their respective homerooms.

After that chance meeting, the two boys became hard to separate. It turned out they had a lot of the same classes together, so they sat with one another whenever they got the chance. It was just weird how Jack only noticed how often he'd seen Lior after they became friends. They had the same classes for weeks; how had he not seen the kid before? It was probably because the blond sat in the back a lot and the brunet tended to just keep to himself. But now the boy was like a breath of fresh air. He finally found somebody that he could manage to get all of his words out to, that he could talk to about the things that he enjoyed and knew about without worrying about what the other teen would think. Having Lior around… it was nice.

The two spent all of freshmen year together, practically joined at the hip and always smiling. It had been forever since Jack had a friend over his house or to go out and see a movie with. And, really, he forgot how much he wanted to do these things with people.

Freshmen year was creeping out of that shell that he'd put himself in, even if it was just a little bit. He'd made one real friend that year and that was all that he wanted, when it got down to it. All Jack wanted was for someone new to see him and he'd accomplished that much.

Sophomore year, though, was when his life became more difficult. And that was because that was the year that another person had caught his eye.

Jack saw him a few tables away from himself and Lior during lunch on the first week of school. Bright green eyes underneath auburn bangs and black frames. Freckles scattered about the boy's face and arms and his smile, though a little crooked, was hypnotizing. He was laughing along with a group of people that he was sitting with, mostly boys and two girls. And, as the line to buy lunch died down, the whole table was soon filled with smiles and laughter. Wow… that guy sure had a lot of friends.

Lior caught Jack staring and snapped until his friend finally regained focus on planet Earth. Jack turned his attention back to the other boy, who was giving him a quizzical look as if to say "Dude, what the hell was that?"

"Who's that?" He wondered.

Lior shrugged "His name's Hiccup, I think. He's in my history class."

"Hiccup…" Jack lowly repeated.

"He's single, ya know." The blond added. Jack's face turned bright red and he glared at his friend "What, you thought I didn't catch on by now?"

Jack sighed "Fine, you caught me." Lior jerked his thumb in the brunet's direction "What?"

Green eyes rolled "Go talk to him, you moron."

"Are you crazy?!" Jack hissed "I can't make a coherent sentence to anyone but you."

"I've noticed." Lior deadpanned "That's why you need practice."

"Why does my practice have to be on him though?" The taller boy complained.

The shorter groaned and let his forehead meet the tabletop "Just go."

Jack looked from the other table back to Lior and gulped. He just couldn't go over there, could he? What would he even say to the guy once he got over there? Knowing him, he'd just clam up and say something stupid just so that he wouldn't be given looks for not talking. Ugh, this was a two way street and neither one was a good path to take!

Jack's head met the table too. Why was it so hard to talk to people, why? Why was he cursed with these awful social skills?

He felt a weak punch on his shoulder and he sat up again, finding Lior had done the same.

"You're hopeless, Jack."

"I know…


	2. Go Down in History

**So, I suddenly got this burst of inspiration for this fic so here's the next chapter... *casually goes back to the fics I'm supposed to be working on***

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"Does everyone understand now?"

_No… _Jack gritted his teeth _No, you made it even worse._ He stared hopelessly at the sets of numbers on the board and felt his anxiety start to rise again. He couldn't take another failing test; he just couldn't! He had to understand this, he had to get his grades up, North wouldn't raise his allowance if he let his grades slip. _Just raise your hand… just tell her that you still don't get it. It'll be fine. _He looked up at the board and his head quickly shot back down to his notebook _Nope. Nope, not doing it. Can't do it. I can't… _His body shook and he wasn't sure if it was from the chill in the classroom or from the nerves that surged through him when the teacher eyed him, still glancing around the room to see if anyone would ask a question. There was nothing but whispers from the people who still insisted on talking about their weekend plans even though the room was mostly stagnant.

"If everyone understands, we'll be moving onto the next lesson." The teacher warned.

Jack wanted to say he didn't; he really, _really_ did. But the words got caught in his throat and began to choke him until he swallowed them back down. The only time he felt safe at school was when he was quiet. He was always too afraid of what other people would do if he misused a word or if he suddenly stopped talking because he lost his train of thought. He was too afraid of them laughing at him, of the room filling up with boisterous mockery all aimed at him. He could take a few asses making fun of him with no problem, but there wasn't any way he'd be able to take on a whole room. He couldn't just make a snide comment to make all twenty or so kids double-take. He couldn't laugh it off and then walk away unscathed like he usually did. The volume in the room would just swallow him up and make him mute to all of the jeering voices anyway. He'd have to sit there and listen to their remarks until the teacher declared silence but then it would only be worse. The hallways would fill with word spreading of how Jack Overland managed to make himself look stupid again. The taunting voices would grow into an army and haunt him for who-knows-how-long. It could be a week or it could be a month, two months. Hell, if he messed up badly enough, it could follow him all school year or even throughout his career in the school.

The teacher turned back to the board and started erasing her writing "Okay then, we're moving on."

Jack's head hung lower _Fuuuuuuuck… Stupid, stupid, stupid… can't you just open your mouth and ask for help, you wimp? _He paused for a second before he answered his own question _No… I can't. I just can't._

Time slowed after that instance and the rest of the school day went by like a trickle of water. It passed slowly and, at times, it seemed as though time had stopped all together around Jack. The rest of the day was weaving through hallways in order to get to class while making as little contact with others as possible. It was slinking back against the walls when someone decided to plow through the crowd for the hell of it and doing his best to blend in. He thought maybe he should let his hair go back to being brown… then it would be easier for everyone to miss him when he walked by. But that would take time. Thank goodness that was all he really had.

So Jack was more than thankful when the final bell rang and classes were let out. He dashed out of his seat in his last class of the day and got the books he needed out of his locker as fast as he could. If he didn't hurry, he'd have to bump shoulders with his locker neighbors and maybe even talk to them. He might be able to handle just a few formalities but all he really wanted to do was go home, lock himself in his room, and play Tetris on his phone until the battery died. He needed to recharge… he needed to be alone…

He grabbed his jacket and put it on was he speed-walked outside and onto his bus. He was the first one on it, as usual, so he plugged his headphones into his ears after greeting his driver and making himself comfortable in his usual seat, the one opposite of the emergency exit door. His music drowned out the rest of the world and, for a little while, he was under the illusion that he was alone when, really, there were other kids on his bus scattered about and talking. But he didn't hear them, not even a little.

He got home in seemingly no time at all and jogged across the street to his front door, taking his house key out of his pocket and slipping it in the lock. He turned it but didn't feel the door unlock. He puffed out his cheeks and tried opening the door anyway, hoping the lock didn't break and add to his day.

The door opened. And that only meant one thing: that it was already unlocked. _Oh, crap! Don't tell me I forgot to lock it again! _He re-traced his actions earlier that morning and remembered that he did, in fact, lock it.

He took a breath and reminded himself that it was probably just Ana picking the lock in order to get something she forgot or to scare him or something like that. He stepped inside and braced himself for the color-clad girl with dark skin to come jumping out at him from around a corner or come barreling down the stairs to tackle him. What he found was the silence that he loved… and a distant joyful laugh. He followed it into the kitchen and found a familiar large, round figure in the kitchen with his back turned to the teen. He turned around when he heard Jack's footsteps and beamed a smile as white as his beard.

"Ah, Jack!" His adoptive father greeted with his arms opened wide.

Jack blanked when he saw North sitting at the breakfast bar. He wasn't supposed to be home for another few hours; what was he doing home?

It was almost like the man had read his mind the next time he opened his mouth "I know, you did not expect me home now. But no matter, I have excellent news."

Jack put his backpack down near the stairs before joining the jolly man at the breakfast bar, choosing his seat so that there was one in between the two "What's up?"

"I got call from agency today." North started with a smile "And I finally have my license renewed!"

Jack feigned a smile at the announcement "Oh, that's... great North…" Jack knew his father had been working on renewing his certification to be a foster parent that he let expire some time after he adopted Jack. The reason was unknown to the teen, but he narrowed it down to because North took more hours at work later that year. He's since gotten a lot more business at the toy factory he owned in town, so he got a manager and secretary so that he could spend more time with his son. Jack guessed he was starting to feel guilty leaving the boy alone for most of the day but, honestly, Jack didn't care either way. He liked North a lot but he also liked the silence that filled the house when he was the only one inside of it.

He was happy that his adoptive father got what he'd been wanting for some time now, but he also dreaded the day that North would have foster kids living with them. Of course he felt for the kids, whoever they would be, but to Jack this event would only bring one thing to him. More people. And people, especially kids, bring noise and more responsibility and a lack of privacy. Jack knew that North was doing the right thing but he couldn't help but be just a little selfish. He'd learned to thrive in silence and seclusion. More kids in the house would only hinder these things that he'd grown to love so much. But he had to fake happiness, for no reason other than how much this meant to his guardian.

"I know this is big change." North continued "But is a good one. You and I will be helping children find a place to be safe. Just like your fosters did with you, yes?"

Jack chocked down old memories that usually stayed locked inside his snowflake box "Right…"

The old man patted Jack on the back "Atta boy. So, how was school today?"

The teen shrugged "Fine, I guess." He got up and picked up his backpack before heading for the stairs "I'll be in my room."

"You don't want to tell me about your day, Jack?"

"There's not much to tell."

"Alright." North's voice seemed to get quieter after Jack's statement. He half blamed it on his walking away… but the other half was resting on something that they both knew was a constant problem. Jack was vocal when he wanted to be but, when it came to topics like school, dating, or his future plans, he always answered with as few words as possible. North definitely knew that by now, but Jack saw that it troubled the man. He knew that North hated not being able to have normal conversations with his son, but Jack could just never get enough words out. Not unless he was feeling more social than usual or passionate enough about what he was saying.

The white-haired teen slowly scaled the stairs and hid behind the closed door of his bedroom, the tranquil feeling that those light blue walls gave him slowly washing away his anxiousness. He left his backpack by the door while he stripped down to just his t-shirt and boxers, deciding that his hoodie and jeans could be picked up later. He took his phone out of the pocket of his hoodie and plopped down on his bed. Jack unlocked his phone and spent until dinner time playing Tetris in silence. After that, it was homework, shower, and messing around on his laptop until sleep finally called him some time around midnight, confirming the repeat of Jack Overland's cycle of self-inflicted isolation.

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The next day started out like all of the others for Jack. He got to school, sat through homeroom, hung out with Lior during lunch. Everything was following the pattern that had come with sophomore year thus far, the whole six months of it that had flown by for the two silent teens. Sure, they made new acquaintances but the two mostly spared the title of "friend" to each other. They both had started to come out of their shells in that time. There was definitely improvement, especially with Lior, who had started talking about this girl named Katherine a few months back. He shared an art class with the apparently cute brunette and liked to play Tic-Tac-Toe and Pictionary with her on scrap pieces of paper. Jack couldn't help but think that his friend was developing a crush on the girl, but it wasn't exactly like he was one to judge. He was almost jealous of Lior, really. He was starting to become a lot more comfortable in groups, even though he still didn't talk much, and he started smiling a lot more than he did the previous year.

As for Jack, he was still more comfortable in the place that he knew. And since his own crush on Hiccup Haddock wasn't going away, that wasn't helping his cause. As the year went on, Jack learned that he had quite a few classes with the freckled teenager. They saw each other every day but the brunet seemed to always have someone else talking to him and Jack never had the guts to go interject into their conversations. From what he noticed, it seemed like Hiccup had a small group of cronies and it looked like he had at least one of them in every class, especially this girl with blonde hair tied back in a braid and choppy bangs hiding one eye. Those two were almost always together and Jack couldn't help but assume that they were dating. It made sense to Jack, anyway.

Up to that point, Hiccup barely knew of Jack's existence and, honestly, Jack was sort of okay with that. Sure, he wasn't getting any attention from him this way. But it kept any potential mess-ups from happening in front of the shorter boy and sticking with him. Besides, someone like Hiccup probably wouldn't want to waste time on someone like Jack. He should hang out with people who actually know how to talk to others and liked to go out and do things, not some fifteen-year-old kid whose idea of a fun Saturday night was killing dragons in Skyrim with Lior until two in the morning. So Jack kept his distance, just like he did all the time.

But that wall that Jack had built up around himself crumbled that day in English class. Their teacher wasn't feeling too well so she decided to assign everyone to a partner to read with and answer review questions on the excerpts instead of giving a lesson. It was sad that his first thought was to ask if he could work by himself, but it was his habit. It only became more deeply ingrained in his head when the teacher started reading off her assigned duos. Most of them were unheard by Jack because he wasn't paying very much attention… until he heard his name called.

"Hayden, you'll be working with Jackson-"

Jack's heart faltered right then. He made every effort to not look at the boy with wide-rimmed glasses and adorable freckles, all of his senses only keen on the chaos that was starting inside his head. He fell deaf to the world, his eyes glued to his desk and his hands doing whatever they could to release some of that nervous energy without looking too obvious. He did his best to swallow the fear that was already starting to well up inside of him. Why couldn't he be put with someone else? Anyone else? Hell, he'd take the guy who did nothing but sleep in the back row if it meant he didn't have to sit with Hiccup! Breathing became harder for Jack as his mind ran from one bad outcome to another. Would he say something stupid and be laughed at? Would Hiccup think he's a loser like everyone else did and never want to talk to him again? Would Jack not even be able to talk to him at all?

Jack took a breath and tried to calm down. _Just stick to talking about the assignment and everything should be fine. _He told himself as he took one deep breath after another. _Just don't talk to him about anything I don't have to. Simple sentences, maybe some gestures, but that's it. Don't screw it up. Don't make yourself look stupid. _He continued to list off rules to himself and trying to plan out what he was going to say when Hiccup and he had to sit together to work. They may have sounded stupid to anyone else, but they were essential to Jack. After years of watching people in the hallways and blending in with the walls, he'd learned what was and was not appropriate for making friends or talking to someone that you may or may not have feelings for.

The only thing that stopped Jack's brain's downward spiral was the sound of a desk screeching across the linoleum floor, coming closer and closer to his own. The sudden interruption made him jump and come back to reality to find Hiccup to be the cause. He'd pulled a since abandoned desk up to meet Jack's and turned it so that the tables were pressed together. He put his messenger bag down beside his seat and sat down.

He immediately noticed Jack's fearful expression and made a shy, crooked smile "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He watched Jack for a moment, as if he was waiting for an answer, before he perused his lips and continued "You okay?"

Jack exhaled and shook his head "Y-yeah… just daydreaming…"

Hiccup nodded and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose "So, uh, wanna get started?"

The white-haired teen nodded and immediately turned his attention to the book in front of him, making sure to keep his eyes from wandering too far off of its pages as he read the assigned pages. It was a section of a story that took place in the era of Vikings, which Jack found somewhat interesting. After all, some of the games he enjoyed playing had Viking lore in them. Though he preferred pure fantasy, he didn't mind historical references in mythology. After all, they were kind of part of the fantasy genre so any fan would have some kind of knowledge about certain cultures, right? Maybe that was stretching it a bit, but that was how Jack saw it.

He finished the reading and found the review questions that he and Hiccup were supposed to discuss one they'd both finished. He slowly looked up from the book and found sharp green eyes staring back at him. It looked like Hiccup had finished reading before Jack did and was waiting for the other boy to be done.

"You good?" He asked. Jack nodded again "Alright. Sooo… Jackson-"

"Jack." The taller boy interrupted. Did that sound too harsh? Too fast? The brunet looked surprised by his sudden bit of conversation. Out of instinct, Jack slowly lowered his head again and tapped his fingers against the desk "I-I prefer Jack."

Hiccup smiled at him, a crooked smile showing matching teeth "Okay, Jack, you can call me Hiccup. Everyone else does. Ya know, except teachers and my dad."

Jack already knew about his nickname, of course. But he played along since the guy never really talked to him before, leaning his head so that it was cocked to the side "Why Hiccup?"

The brunet shrugged "I've had the nickname since I was little. Kinda followed me through school because my best friend_ insists_ on calling me by it. Gods, I wish she'd stop…" He rubbed his forehead nervously.

Jack was quiet for a moment again before he questioned "Your best friend's a girl?"

"Yeah, Astrid." The boy smiled as he said her name "Maybe you've seen her around. A bit taller than me, blonde hair, blue eyes, does volleyball and track." He must mean the girl with the braided ponytail that he always spent time with, so Jack nodded "I figured you might have; it seems like everyone knows her."

"I… thought you were dating her?" Hiccup blinked at Jack blankly. _Oh, real nice Jack. _

To his surprise, Hiccup chuckled "You too, huh? I don't know why everyone thinks that; it's not like we make out in the hallway or anything. But, no, we're just friends. Have been since we were little."

"Oh…"

It got quiet between them after that, both boys' eyes flicking between their books and their partner with anxiety. Hiccup puffed out his cheeks and drummed his fingers on his desk. _Oh great, he's getting bored now. _

"Sorry, I'm just… I'm not used to talking to someone for this long." Jack admitted "Usually, people just…" he shrugged "leave me alone because I run out of things to say." He looked back at Hiccup "You know what I mean?"

Hiccup was quiet for a moment before he muttered lowly "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

The white-haired teen shifted in his chair and cleared his throat "So, uh, the, the book questions."

"Right, um…" The brunet read over the first question again before looking back at Jack "the first question says…"

"Hey, Hiccup!" Someone shouted from across the room. It was a tall, thin blond guy with dreadlocks and a slightly smug grin. Jack recognized him as part of Hiccup's group of companions "What's the answer to question one?"

Green eyes rolled behind thick black frames "We're working on it, Tuff, didn't quite get there."

"Really?" The brunet's friend retorted "What, you're both stuck too?"

"No, not yet." Jack noticed that those eyes flicked to him before going back to Tuff "I was just making some conversation with Jack here."

"No offense, pal, but I don't think I've heard him say one word since freshmen year." Jack's ears turned red and he hung his head a bit. It was sad because it was true.

"Well, he's talking to me. J-just let me know if you get it, okay?"

Tuff grumbled "Yeah, sure."

The conversation ended and Hiccup must have noticed Jack fiddling with his pencil by now. He took a breath and tried to get the heat in his face to go down. "Hey, you alright?"

Jack jumped a bit when he looked back at Hiccup, eyes widened and eyebrows raised with concern. "Uh, yeah." He murmured.

The freckled teen didn't say anything for a moment before nodding "Okay. Sorry about Tuffnut. He means well, but sometimes he just doesn't have a filter."

Jack shrugged "It's alright."

"So…" Hiccup eased them back on subject after that. And, for the most part, the pair found all the right answers (or what they hoped were the right answers) with about twenty minutes left of class. This was usually the point where Jack would slip his phone out of his pocket and play a game or text Lior. But, when he peeked down at Hiccup's messenger bag, he saw an insignia on it that caught his attention. Across the flap covering the front pockets was a black shape that looked like a dragon curled into a circle. The only splash of color was a small bit of red on one of the dragon's tail fins. He'd never seen it before but he _really_ liked it.

"What's that from?" He wondered aloud.

"You mean the symbol on my bag?" Jack nodded "It's not really from anything big; just this dragon book I've had since I was little. I always liked that symbol so… I put it on there."

"So you made that?"

"Yeah, I did." Hiccup confirmed "Astrid's been begging me to make one of these symbols for her so that's in progress at home… assuming my cat didn't get to it."

"Ah."

"Hiccup!" Tuffnut jogged over and pulled an empty desk next to his friend's "Snotlout told me it's gonna rain tonight."

"Yeah, because it is." The brunet plainly answered "Why are you so worried about that?"

"Because Macy and I were gonna go out; now I have to pull something else outta my ass before tonight."

Jack just looked at the two of them in confusion. Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose "Tuff, why can't you two just hang out at your place or something instead?"

"Because Ruff's gonna be there too." The blond complained "She loves to mess with us; you know that."

"Then what about her place?"

Tuffnut thought it over, eyebrows knitting together and mouth opening just a crack "Maybe… thanks, Hiccup." He punched the smaller boy's arm playfully. Then, he got up and went back to his seat.

"Just talk to her first, Tuff!" Hiccup shouted back.

"Yeah, I know."

Hiccup pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and smiled, shaking his head a bit "Oh gods…"

"… What was that about?" Jack questioned.

"Tuff and his girlfriend like to go out every Friday night and I guess they have this thing where they watch the sun set together or something. Of course, they can't when it's rainy or something and he always flips for a couple of minutes when he finds out."

"Oh…"

Jack stayed quiet until the bell rang, signaling the end of class. He grabbed his books and started for the door before Hiccup called out to him "Jack!" He turned around and watched the freckled teen throw the strap of his bag over his shoulder "It was nice to talk to you."

He couldn't help but smile back at him "Yeah, you too."

"So… see you around?"

Jack nodded and his grin grew. And it stayed all the way to his next class.

* * *

**Also, if anyone's confused about who Macy is, I'll just explain. In an episode of Defenders of Berk, Tuffnut became very attached to this mace that he got from Trader Johann that he named Macy and referred to as a she. And I thought it would be fun to make Macy human and see what happens when I do that. So, yeah, she's a character now.**


End file.
